Category Archives: Volume 11/Issue 03

President’s Column June July August 2011

by Karen Mauney-Brodek

Thank you to the over 200 of you that came to our first annual Ham and Eggs Fire Breakfast on May 21st, adjacent to Patricia’s Green.  It was an overwhelming success.  Not only did it bring our neighborhood together, but it helped our Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association (HVNA) to meet our fund-raising goal for this year.

By supporting HVNA, becoming a member, reading the Voice (online version right now!), or participating in our meetings – you help the organization to work hard to improve our neighborhood.

Your membership dues support the printing of our newsletters and meeting flyers, which are hand delivered by volunteers to over 3,800 homes and businesses each month.  In addition, your dues support on-going art projects in the neighborhood (for example art in Patricia’s Green), annual efforts to help those in our neighborhood who are less fortunate, and our efforts to make sure we have a voice in our neighborhood’s future.

Each month, the neighborhood association and its committees hold meetings and forums to discuss our concerns and identify ways to address important topics around safety, upcoming development, community resources, supporting local businesses, schools and the needs of our youth.  We encourage you to visit our website:  http://www.hayesvalleysf.org/  We are temporarily making the home-page of our website the blog which will allow you to see more up to date notices of upcoming events and meetings.  You can still access the newsletter, print edition version of the Voice at:   http://hayesvalleysf.org/voice/

Our latest neighborhood achievement: working with the city and the Trust for Public Land to rebuild Hayes Valley Playground. On June 11th we celebrated the opening of the new playground and park for everyone’s enjoyment.  On to the next challenge!

Please read the article by Jason Henderson here on the blog about the UC Extension Project.  It is a very important project in our neighborhood and it is going to continue to take a lot of the attention of our organization and all of you to make sure the project provides the community with community benefits we have worked for years to ensure, including affordable housing, open space and other public amenities.

Thanks again to those of you who came to the first annual Ham and Eggs Fire Breakfast fund-raiser.  It was great to see familiar faces and hear old memories.  It was also fun to see new faces and hear new perspectives.  The neighborhood association hopes to see you at our next meeting.  Thanks to those of you who are members and/or contribute in other ways: Your support of HVNA ensures that our community has a voice!

Pedestrian Safety and Hayes Valley

by Mari Hunter

Long time Hayes Valley resident and member of the San Francisco Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) John Alex Lowell presented the PSAC Annual Report during the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association meeting in May.  John’s involvement with PSAC and his work on the Report was not only a civic contribution but it is also personal—John is a survivor of a pedestrian collision from 10 years ago.

One hundred percent of all trips have a pedestrian component and 20% of all trips in San Francisco are entirely pedestrian trips.  From 2005 to 2008 there were over 3,500 pedestrian collisions which totaled $74.3 million, 76% of which was paid for with public health care funds.  To initiate a movement that would address these statistics—one that would identify the who, what, where, how and why, PSAC members researched and worked with numerous City departments (e.g. Municipal Transportation Agency, Planning Department, Department of Public Health, etc) and created a report that provided a baseline of the existing pedestrian environment; reviewing the policy, engineering/design, data, enforcement, and health & education.  The report also identified a number of recommendations for each of the five components—key recommendations include:

1. Develop and implement observational studies to monitor rights-of way and other traffic code violations, by and of pedestrians, bicycles, and wheelchairs to identify hotspots.

2. Fines for traffic-related offenses that endanger pedestrians should be increased to an appropriate level and a citywide effort to enforce pedestrian and road safety laws should be made.

3. Police, health, transportation and planning data shall interface.

4. Police collision data shall have the capacity to be accessed in real-time by all transportation and health agencies with prior approval.

5. Identify a funding source to establish a pedestrian information registry for all pedestrian-related projects, studies, and activities.

Since the committee started its work on the Annual Report, which was presented to the Board of Supervisor’s City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee in April, several other pedestrian safety related efforts have been initiated, namely WalkFirst SF, spearheaded by the Department of Public Health and the Planning Department; former Mayor Newsom’s directive forming a Pedestrian Safety Task Force; and efforts by Supervisor Kim (District Six) including a pedestrian safety hearing that was held in April.

District Six tops San Francisco’s most dangerous pedestrian regions, followed closely by the Financial District.  One might expect these two locations to be hot spots for pedestrian accidents given the density of pedestrian activity (see Map 1), but also more residential areas like Hayes Valley have a disproportionate number of pedestrian collisions (see Map 2 for collision data), likely due in part to traffic along major arterials connecting to Highway 101.


Data has indicated that the geographic imbalance may be attributed to heavier local traffic and density of residential and employment centers but also socioeconomic characteristics including communities of low-income, minorities, and the youth and elderly.

This recent surge to improve pedestrian safety is just the beginning; there is significant work to be done so residents and visitors feel safe.  Fortunately groups such as PSAC, Walk SF, the Pedestrian Safety Task Force and all of the city departments that influence the pedestrian environment are working to curb these preventable collisions and costs in a way that is both equitable and cost-effective.  For the full report please visit https://sfmta.securesites.net/cms/cpdsafe/19509.html

 

55 Laguna and Affordable Housing

By Jason Henderson

If after years of community involvement and compromise, you thought the future development of the former UC Berkeley site would move forward as approved, you may be wrong!  The new developer is proposing that instead of building the 49 affordable housing units required under the approved plan, they will pay a fee to the City, which would then use that money to underwrite the affordability of the Openhouse (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-friendly senior housing) portion of the development.  The development would look the same, but would contain 49 more market rate units, generating more income for the developer, and reducing the diversity that makes this neighborhood so great.

Hayes Valley is the neighborhood of “yes” when it comes to accepting all kinds of diverse housing needs (affordable, special needs, formerly homeless).  We are as enthusiastic about accepting dense urban infill as we are a temporary farm or ice cream shop operating out of containers along Octavia Blvd. We are a rare breed. But now we have a development that is having difficulty getting us to accept them because it is shirking the affordable component. How strange. How can a developer have a problem with us?

In 2003 the nearly 6-acre UC Extension campus (aka 55 Laguna) was shuttered by the University of California.  Since the land was zoned public, the University could only use the site for educational purposes and thus the land was not that valuable. UC teamed with a developer, AF Evans Company, and in 2008 got the city to rezone most of the 6-acres to allow mixed use housing. The value of the land skyrocketed.  Because the community at-large made the land valuable and facilitated profit-making for the developers and UC, the city and surrounding neighborhoods expected substantial community benefits out of the redevelopment.

HVNA urged the developer to include affordable mixed-income housing, adaptive re-use of the site, and more emphasis on walking, bicycling, and public transit.  It took years, and not everybody got what they wanted, but the development that was entitled included 49 affordable housing units out of a total of 330. This is the basic inclusionary housing requirement that is used by the city in all new housing developments, and was minimal given that the site belongs to the public.

In the meantime, a separate piece of this project, 110 units of senior LGBT housing developed by Openhouse, was added onto the project as part of a political deal between the Board of Supervisors, our State legislative delegation, the developers, and Openhouse.  The LGBT housing, composed of very small one-room apartments with services like kitchens and elderly care on-site, was at first market rate, but then switched to being underwritten by grants from the Mayor’s Office of Housing through conventional affordable housing funding sources.

When 55 Laguna was entitled in 2008, and value accrued to the UC and the developer, there were to be 110 LGBT senior housing units AND 49 affordable units available to anyone that needed them.  That was the negotiated settlement between the city, the community, the University, and the developer. However, the project was delayed due to the global real estate bubble, and AF Evans went bankrupt. The project was in limbo.

Over the last few months a new developer, Atlanta-based Wood Partners LLC, has entered the picture and is negotiating to take over the project.  They have stated that they will not deviate from what was originally entitled and are eager to build in San Francisco.  Their entry reflects the broader real estate trend of larger-scale developers interested in urban infill, and particularly in rental housing.  With our work on the Market and Octavia Plan, we’ve made the neighborhood a very attractive place to live, and to invest, and so once financing is in place, we’ll see a lot of development like this.

But there is a BIG change in the Wood LLC proposal for 55 Laguna. The 49 units of affordable housing are in jeopardy. In December 2010, without community knowledge or input, the developer and the Mayor’s Office of Housing (MOH) came to an agreement that the developer could pay an in-lieu fee instead of building the affordable housing on site. The in-lieu fee would then be used to underwrite most of the Openhouse component of the project because the Mayor’s Office of Housing had no money to fulfill its part of the 2008 deal.

If this looks like a classic “robbing Peter to pay Paul,” that’s because it is.  And it is very unfortunate for our community.

HVNA is urging the developer and the city to rethink the loss of 49 units of affordable rental housing open to all who need it. It would be a major loss because the Hayes Valley and Upper Market Street corridor are ripe for development, but rents are sky-high. If this deal goes through, it further solidifies the alarming-trend of making this area exclusive.  So we’ve asked the city to consider finding the money it originally promised, and we’ve asked the developer to consider reducing parking, which is very expensive to construct, as a way of building in more affordable housing. We believe that the Mayor’s Office of Housing, mapping future development in the city, can identify forthcoming development fees or other sources that can be used to help with Openhouse.  The developer, standing to make huge profits, should be expected to also give a little to Openhouse without robbing from our community desperately needed affordable housing. We believe something can be worked-out to keep the project on track and to ensure affordability for ALL of those in need. But this will only happen if the community demands it.

The plan by the MOH and developer would set a terrible precedent where monied developers could petition the City to make changes against the social interest, claiming that they will leave properties derelict unless they receive concessions.

Please contact your supervisor and planning commission members to tell them you are in favor of keeping the development structured as is, and NOT making a change that benefits only the developer. You can get a sample letter and addresses on the HVNA website. Web address: 55 Laguna Letter draft

A hearing on the affordable housing at 55 Laguna is scheduled for August 4th at the San Francisco Planning Commission (City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 400).

Walking Tours of Hayes Valley

By Larry Cronander

To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association’s incorporation, a walking tour sponsored by the Association was given following the Ham and Eggs Fire Breakfast on May 21st, entitled Hayes Valley: Past, Present and Future.

Seventeen friends and neighbors tramped through the hills and vales of our neighborhood for over three hours exploring its colorful past, dynamic present and promising future. It was fun, informative and interactive; impromptu, one of the group even took us into the lobby of his Art Deco apartment building to show us its ornate and beautiful lobby. The Grand Finale was when the owners of the Parsonage opened their doors to us for a tour of the interior of their magnificently restored 1883 Eastlake Victorian, an official landmark of San Francisco, now a bed and breakfast.

There will be more neighborhood tours in the summer, focusing on various aspects of Hayes Valley! The Grand Tour of Past, Present and Future will be an annual event following the Ham and Eggs Fire Breakfast.

Watch for announcements of upcoming tours in the July Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association Flyer and the September Voice.

Join us!

All proceeds from the Walking Tours benefit the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association.

21 Years and Going Strong

by Bob Barnwell

One of the most recognized establishments in our area is Marlena’s Bar and Nightclub.  Gary McLain, also known as Marlena, has spent 21 years building the popularity of Marlena’s at 488 Hayes St.

Marlena loves living and owning a business in Hayes Valley.  He lives upstairs and owns the green building that includes Flippers and four apartments.

Known for its Saturday night drag shows, Marlena’s is a big attraction for tourists, as well as members of the San Francisco community, to Hayes Valley.

Well-recogonized for his generosity and service to the community, Marlena has received awards and recognition from the city, other businesses and community organizations.  At least once a week, usually on Sundays, Marlena’s is a fund raising venue for many non-profit groups including the AIDS Emergency Fund, the Castro Lions Club Drag-A-Thon, the AIDS Lifecycle, the Golden State Gay Rodeo Association,  the Imperial Council, and the Council of the Grand Duke and Duchess.  When the neighborhood bar becomes a fund raising show a good time is guaranteed for all.  Last year many people celebrated at Marlena’s the Giants path to a World Championship.

Well-known for his Santa Claus collection display in December, Marlena’s showcases several other themes throughout the year.  Marlena’s other collections include Disney keepsakes, objects celebrating the Coronation of the Emperor and Empress, and Valentines Day and Halloween decor.  Stop by this July for the Harry Potter memorabilia display.

From a neighborhood bar to a drag show stage to a fund raising venue for non-profit groups, Marlena’s is one of the oldest and one of the most deserving of praise for a Hayes Valley establishment.